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Town Council Workshop Meeting

Town of Holly Springs · Town Council
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 6:00 pm

Work session Civil rights and nondiscriminationEconomic development incentivesFire and EMSPolice and public safetyStormwater and flooding

Agenda document Minutes Meeting page Watch Meeting recap

What's on this agenda

This is an informational workshop for Holly Springs' mayor and council, not a meeting where votes are taken. Staff walk through four topics and ask for council feedback: the town's small-business and downtown strategy (including recent downtown projects), an overview of the stormwater management program and its long-term financial sustainability, a review of whether a recent change to when land-use public hearings are held is working as intended, and early planning for the February council retreat.

The meeting ends with open discussion and a closed session. Nothing on this agenda is a formal decision; it's staff briefing council and gathering direction for future work.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Meeting recap

What happened, drawn from the records published after the meeting. Minutes

Council spent most of the workshop on two long-range briefings. Economic Development Director Irena Krstanovic reviewed downtown strategy, including the Downtown Investment Grant program and a December 2 roundtable that drew more than 40 businesses, and told council the town's commercial vacancy rate is 0.4%, well under the 8-10% staff considers healthy. Daniel Colavito, of Utilities and Infrastructure, gave a primer on the stormwater program, rating the town's current service level a C against a goal of B, ahead of a fuller rate discussion planned for the February retreat.

Development Services Director Chris Hills reported that five rezoning cases have gone through the town's newer, earlier public-hearing process: three were approved, one paused and one is still pending. Staff recommended no changes to the process itself, but will look at improving hearing notices and signage. Council settled on governance, a satisfaction survey, housing affordability, transportation, wastewater and water quality, financial management and stormwater as its top topics for the February retreat. In open discussion, council asked staff to invite Wake County to a January workshop on the town's nondiscrimination ordinance, to look into pairing the police advisory committee with the fire department, and to report back on regulating short-term rentals. The council did not go into closed session and adjourned at 8:45 p.m. on a unanimous vote.

How the votes went

The only recorded vote was to adjourn, which passed unanimously. This was a workshop with no other agenda items requiring a vote.

From the published minutes.

Speaking at this meeting

Town of Holly Springs's own rules for public comment — check them before you rely on anything here.

Agenda items (9)

Discussion item · 4Procedural · 3Presentation · 1Closed session · 1
  1. 1 Welcome / Call Meeting to Order
    Procedural
  2. 2 Workshop Overview
    Procedural
    Town Manager Randy Harrington opened the workshop with an overview of the agenda.
  3. 3 Small Business and Downtown Activities Update
    Discussion item Economic development incentives
    Economic Development staff review current small-business support strategies and recent downtown Holly Springs projects, and ask council for feedback and direction on next steps.
  4. 4 Stormwater Management
    Presentation Stormwater and flooding
    A primer overview of the town's stormwater program - its purpose, current service level, and what it will take to keep the program financially sustainable as service needs grow. A follow-up discussion is planned for the annual retreat.
  5. 5 Public Hearing Process Recommendation
    Discussion item
    Staff review how a recent change requiring land-use public hearings to be held earlier in the review process has worked in practice, and ask council whether further changes are wanted.
  6. 6 Annual Retreat Planning
    Discussion item
    The town manager seeks council's preferred discussion topics for the February annual retreat, starting from a preliminary staff-drafted list.
  7. 7 Open Discussion
    Discussion item Civil rights and nondiscriminationFire and EMSPolice and public safety
    Council asked staff to invite Wake County to a January workshop on the town's nondiscrimination ordinance, to explore pairing the police advisory committee with the fire department, and to report back on regulating short-term rentals.
  8. 8 Closed Session
    Closed session
  9. 9 Adjourn
    Procedural

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